Mine laying submarine



Nov. l1, 1941. FL G. szAGER I 2,262,348

MINE LAYING SUBMARINE I A l Filed Fb. 15, 1940 5 sheets-sheet 2 InventorIKM/w( 650,955 .Sz/165e,

@www

A Harney Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE jApplication Febraryi This invention relates to af submarine forlayingmines, the general object of the invention being to provide means on thetop of the submarine `for holding a mine,I with means for` releasing themine when a person within the submarine desires so that thenne will passupwardly and contact a ship which is` to be destroyed. i i

Another object of the invention is to provide magnetic means for holdingthe mine in position witha switch within the submarine for deenergizingthe magnets topermit the mine to float from the submarine.` y

Another object of the invention is to provide a light indicator forindicating when the mine has left the submarine. l j j n A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide means for propelling the submarineby man-power whenever desired, such as when the submarine is in thevicinityxof an enemy ship or the'like, thus making it impossible for theenemy to hear the motor which is ordinarily used for driving thesubmarine.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which: l

`Figure 1 is a side view of a submarine constructed in accordance withthis invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the submarine.

Figure 3 is a sectionon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the dome or turret part of thesubmarine and showing the mine heldin the concavity formed in the top ofsaid dome.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail View showing the lamp indicating means.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit. In these views theletter A indicates the body of the submarine which is provided with thedome or turret part I having the windows 2 therein and the deck of thesubmarine is provided with the usual hatches covered by the uidtightdoors 3 and said submarine is provided with the usual periscope 4, theeye bolts 5 and other [z claims. (Q1. iii- 17) features which areusualwith submarines. A propeller E` is driven from a motor M and a secondpropeller I is driven by a pedal device 8 carried by a frame 9 whichresembles `the frame of a bicycle, the drivefrom the pedal deviceincluding chain and sprocket means IIJ and the gearing II. The framecarries a seat I2 for the operator and a rotary handle I3 is alsocarried by the frame and a link I4 connects the handle to the shank of arudder I5. Thus the person occupying the seat I2 of the frame 9 canrotate the propeller 'I by the pedal device and at the same time controlthe movement of the submarine by means of the rudder I5. Of course, whenthe submarine is not in the presence of or ad- `jacent an enemys boat orother place where the enemy may be the submarine is run by the motor,the manual means only being used to `quietly operate the submarinewithout danger` of ,the

enemy detecting the noise of the operating parts thereof.

A battery B is also arranged in the submarine.

In carrying out the invention a semi-circular part I8 is formed in thetop of the dome or turret I to form a seat for the mine I9 and aplurality l of magnetic devices 20 is located in the semicircular partin spaced relation and the upper ends of these devices are so formed asto contact parts of the mine placed in the semi-circular part so thatwhen the magnetic devices are energized they will firmly hold the minein place.

Figure 7 shows the conductors 2| of these magnetic devices connected toa switch 22 which hasone terminal connected to the battery B as shown at23 and the other terminal of the switch is connected toJ the battery bya conductor 24. Thus by closing the switch current will be supplied tothe magnetic devices to energize the same and by opening the switch themagnets will be deenergized and, of course, when this is done the minewill be released so` that it can float to the surface or against thebottom of a ship under which the submarine has been moved.

A lamp indicator is provided for indicating when the mine leaves thesemi-circular part and said indicator includes a rod 26 slidablyarranged in a tubular part 21 which depends from the bottom of thecentral portion of the semi-circular part IB with the rod 26 passingthrough the center magnetic device which is provided with a hole 28 forthe passage of the rod. A lamp bulb 29 is carried by a socket at thelower end of the rod and conductors 30 lead from the lamp` and socket tothe contacts 3| on the rod, the parts being insulated in any well knownmanner. A pair of contacts 32 is carried by the tubular member 2'I andwhen the mine is resting on the magnetic devices in the part I8 itsweight engaging the upper end of the rod 26 will lower the rod to anextent where its contacts 3I will engage the contacts 32 and thus thecircuit to the lamp bulb 29 will be closed, the contacts 32 beingelectrically connected to the battery by the conductors 34 as shown inFigure '7. When the mine leaves the part I8 springs 35 will raise therod 26 and move the contacts 3l out of engagement with the contacts 32and thus the circuit to the lamp 29 will be broken and this willindicate to those in the submarine that the mine has left the part I8.

Thus it will be seen that after a mine is placed in the part I8 and theswitch 22 closed the magnetic devices will be energized and they willact to hold the mine in place. The weight of the mine will lower the rod26 so as to close the circuit to the lamp 29. Then when the submarinecomes in the vicinity of an enemy ship the motor M is stopped and one ofthe crew operates the pedal device 8 to turn the propeller 'I so as tomove the submarine silently to a point under the ship. Then the switchis opened so as to deenergize the magnetic devices which results inreleasing of the mine which floats up and strikes the bottom of theship. This mine can be a magnetic one or of any other suitable type andshould be provided with a time device for exploding it so that after itattaches itself to the shipv the submarine will have a chance of movingaway from the ship before the mine explodes so that the submarine willnot be injured by the explosion.

A supply of mines can, if desired, be carried in the submarine so thatanother mine can be placed in the part I8 after the rst mine has beenreleased.

The submarine should be made of stainless steel or otherwise treated toeliminate any danger of a mine attaching itself to the submarine.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A mine laying submarine comprising a housing extending upwardly fromits deck, said housing having windows in its sides and a substantiallysemi-circular recess in its top, a plurality of magnetic devicesconnected with the wall of the recess and extending upwardly into therecess, said magnetic devices being spaced apart and having their upperends of arcuate shape to form a substantially semi-circular seat forreceiving a mine, a circuit for the magnetic devices and a switch in thesubmarine for controlling the circuit, the mine being released when thecircuit is opened.

2. In a mine laying submarine having a housing extending upwardly fromits deck and formed with a semi-circular recess in its top for receivinga mine, releasable means for holding the mine in the recess, a rodsupported for sliding movement and having one end extending into therecess for engagement with the mine, a lamp at the lower end of the rod,a circuit for the lamp, spring means for moving the rod upwardly whenthe mine is released and means for opening the circuit when the rodmoves upward lv under the action of the spring means.

invention, what is FRANK GEORGE SZAGER.

